Two-Stage Heartbreak
by SoulHorse
Summary: Two stages of heartbreak. The saddest part is, does anyone really know which one is worse? But perhaps, getting your heart broken isn't so bad after all...
1. Numb

**Hey Fairies! Random idea I got off of Instagram. I scheduled this (I actually planned for once lol) to be seven chapters. Don't expect the chapters to be 2,000 word long or anything…I think. Well, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Stage One, Chapter One**

 _"_ _Heartbreak hits you in two stages: Stage one is numb. You don't want to believe that it's happening."_

 _~ misshaileyofficial (Tumblr) ~_

3rd Person's POV

"I want to break up."

The words hit her hard. She gawks at her boyfriend of two years in disbelief.

"Why?" she finally manages, eyes wide.

He shrugs aimlessly.

"Look, Luce, I like you and all, but more as a friend. A sister, really. And it feels weird to be dating a sister," he replies.

She feels like she's been punched in the stomach. But she tries to keep her calm. Her warm brown eyes searches his and then, that's when she realizes.

"…There's somebody else. Isn't there?" she whispers.

He freezes in his tracks. His mouth is opened and moving, but no sound comes out. She watches him, waiting for his response.

"H-how did you find out?" he finally says.

"Eyes tell truths," she says simply.

He sighs, running a hand through his tousled mane of orange-brown hair.

"I'm sorry Luce. But—"

"It's fine," she interrupts. "I don't need your pity, Loke."

She turns her back on him.

"Bye Lucy," he says behind her.

She doesn't say anything as the door shuts quietly, and that's when she lets the emotions out. She's shaking, tears flowing down her cheeks. She feels **numb** with pain **,** as if he did punch her in the stomach.

 _It'd hurt less if he hurt me physically,_ she thought bitterly, wrapping her arms around herself. _I can't believe him, the jerk._

Yes, it would've hurt less if he had hit her.

 **Well then, there you have it. The most probable length for every chapter and chapter 1! To clarify, Loke and Lucy were dating, before he broke up with her for another girl.**

 **As for the quote above, it comes from Tumblr, but was posted on Instagram. It's not the full quote. The full quote's going to be split up for every chapter. Just saying.**

 **Well, RRFF and tell me what you think! SoulHorse, over and out.**


	2. Distraction

**Hey Fairies! Next chapter to Two-Stage Heartbreak! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Stage One, Chapter 2**

 _"You distract yourself with parties and friends. You drink alcohol until you can't remember your name and dance under streetlights with boys you just met."_

 _~ misshaileyofficial (Tumblr)~_

3rd Person's POV

"I need a **distraction**."

Lucy's desperate. She needs something to keep her mind of _him._ His betrayal.

Her best friend, Cana Alberona, gazes at her, thinking. She suddenly snaps her fingers.

"Party at the bar. Tonight. You in?"

Cana smirks fearlessly at her friend, daring her to accept. Without a second thought, Lucy says, "Yeah."

~.~

The two are at Cana's house, prepping for tonight's party. The party girl is rummaging through her closet, looking for something for her friend to wear. She's already dressed in a slinky, short blue dress that shows off her chest and hugs her curves in all the right ways. On her feet are bright blue heels.

"Here!"

She thrusts a low cut, sexy and short black dress at her friend. Lucy gingerly takes hold of the dress. It shimmers in the bright light of Cana's room.

"Thanks," she says, before stripping.

~.~

"Here!"

Cana passes Lucy a glass of vodka.

"Drink up Luce!" she laughs.

Around them, the party is pumping and at full blast. Girls and boys alike are grinding, people are laughing, and the DJ isn't stopping. The dim lights of the room make the dresses shimmer and glow.

Lucy grabs the glass and chugs it all in one go. _Distraction. That's what I need,_ she thinks as she slides the glass across the counter and swipes another off a nearby tray.

"Damn Lucy!" Cana shouts over the music. "You sure this is your first time?!"

Lucy doesn't answer; instead she's already chugging her third glass. She's drinking until she doesn't know her own name. She doesn't know what she was drinking and she doesn't care. She just needs a distraction. She just needs to forget.

~.~

The night passes by in a blur. Cana had run up to the upper levels of the bar with some guy and slammed the door. Noises had been coming from the room ever since, but the music drowns it out. Not that Lucy knew. She's drunk.

She's chatting with strangers and flirting with boys. Her heels are gone. Her feet are red and sore from dancing, but she doesn't notice.

A girl and boy drag her outside. It's dark and the street is dimly lit with street lights. The stars faintly twinkle above. The concrete is slightly damp, as if it had rained hours ago. The music carries out from inside and Lucy's dancing now. A boy takes her by the hand they're spinning on the sidewalk. Another girl runs out the door and joins them, more drinks in hand. It's a wonder she doesn't fall. Lucy grabs another drink and chugs it. Because all she wants is to forget.

 **Yay! Another update! I hope you guys enjoyed! So please, review, favorite, and follow (RRFF)! Really makes my day :D Until next time!**

 **~ SoulHorse**


	3. Wake Up

**Hey Fairies! Next chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Stage One, Chapter 3**

 _"You wake up in the morning with an earthquake in your head and a strange man in your bed."_

 _~ misshaileyofficial (Tumblr) ~_

3rd Person's POV

Lucy **wakes up**. Her head is roaring like a thunderstorm. A beam of sunlight comes in through the window nearby.

The bed she's in is unfamiliar. The scent is off. This is not her room. Lucy could think that much, despite the earthquake in her head.

It's then she realized she's nude and immediately reaches for the sheets to cover herself. Then, she sees that the sheets aren't her own. They reek of sex. How she knew that, she had no idea.

"Hey," a voice yawns from next to her.

She shrieks and jumps away. A teenage boy is sitting up next to her, yawning and stretching. He's shirtless and Lucy suspects he's not wearing any pants or undergarments either. That he's nude like her. His eyes are black, black as ink and slitted like a reptile's. Like a dragon's. His hair is spiky, ruffled, and salmon pink.

"Must you be so loud in the morning?" he groans irritably. "My head hurts."

"Who the hell are you?!" she demands, clutching the sheets even tighter.

"Jesus Christ!"

He covers his ears, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Give me a sec, 'kay? My head is killing me."

"…"

Lucy's silent for a second. Her head's throbbing too. He turns towards her. A weak smile is on his face. His canines were abnormally sharp, she notices.

"Hey, are you hungry? Help yourself," he offers.

She blinks, surprised.

"You don't know me," she mumbles, looking down.

"I don't, but I think I need to help you," he says to her.

His genuine worry makes her smile.

"It's okay. I'll be okay. I'll be fine," she replies.

"Somehow, I feel like you're telling yourself that."

~.~

His name is Natsu Dragneel. He's 17 like her. He lives alone. He was at the bar because it was his friend's birthday. He was the boy twirling her around last night, while they were dancing under the streetlights.

She would remember that. He was also kind, she would remember. After Lucy had declined his offer of food and a shower, he had given her some clothes to wear so she won't have to wear Cana's ruined dress, and a pair of sandals so she wouldn't have to go barefoot.

Although they would never meet again, she would remember him. Or so she thought.

 **And scene.**

 **Poor Lucy. And heyyy there's Natsu! Will they meet again? Only time will tell.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to leave a review and please favorite and follow! It makes my day :) So until next time! SoulHorse, over and out.**


	4. Empty

**Hey Fairies! Here's your chapter of the day! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Stage One, Chapter 4**

 _"_ _All you want is to fill this empty feeling."_

 _~ misshaileyofficial (Tumblr) ~_

3rd Person's POV

The minute Lucy gets home, she takes a long shower. She washes away the effects of the night before. The makeup, the smell of booze, the sweat from dancing, the dirt on her feet, the sex with Natsu. All gone.

When she gets out, she feels refreshed. The pounding in her head is gone and she's fully awake.

Her phone buzzes on her nightstand. Still drying her hair with a towel, she picks up her phone.

 _Message From: Cana Alberona_

 **Cana: Heyyyy didja make it home alright? And btw, wanna go shopping? If ur gonna keep hitting up clubs and bars w/me, you need clothes asap**

Lucy smirks as she taps out a reply.

 **Lucy: Yup just got home. And sure, why not?**

~.~

Lucy pulls up on Cana's driveway and cuts the engine. She strolls up to the door and rings the doorbell. The door swings open to reveal her best friend.

"Okay, let's go. You need some clothes," she says rather bluntly.

Lucy rolls her eyes and Cana tosses something at her. A pair of keys. She raises an eyebrow at the brunette.

"You're driving."

~.~

"Hey, wanna hit up a club tonight?" Cana asks. "A new one called Night Sky just opened up on Petal Dance Avenue."

"Sure. I have nothing else to do," Lucy shrugs.

"Sweet."

Cana's eyes gleam as her fingers move to send a text.

"How does this look?"

Cana looks up from her phone. Lucy's modeling a shimmery, hot pink dress that shows off her assets and hugs her curves.

"That'll be perfect for tonight."

~.~

In the end, Lucy comes out with five new dresses. One is the pink one, another is a vivid green and violet, a third is silver and electric blue, the fourth is a slinky gold, and the last is a striking red.

That night, Lucy dons her new, hot pink dress and Cana's in sexy black and white. The heels slid on and they strut out the door.

~.~

This goes on for days, weeks, months. Every night, Lucy and Cana hits up bars and clubs and goes out dancing and drinking. And every morning, Lucy wakes up in a strange man's bed and leaves to get refreshed and get drunk again the same night.

She loves the feeling she gets when she's drunk. She feels happy, carefree, wild, and _free._ It's addicting. When she wakes up again, she has to get get drunk and go out dancing. Because it's the only way to forget. It's the only way to fill that **empty** feeling.

 **And scene. This chapter marks the end of Stage One.**

 **What is Stage One? The story is split into two parts: Stage One and Stage Two, as the story is called Two-Stage Heartbreak. Chapter 4 is the end of Stage One and Chapter 5 is the beginning of Stage Two.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the first stage! Don't forget to leave a review below and favorite and follow! Until next time! SoulHorse, over and out.**


	5. Emotional

**Hey Fairies! Welcome to the first chapter of Stage 2! Enjoy!**

 **And my first two reviewers (and only reviewers XD), here are your replies:**

 **Grizzly98:** Oh, Natsu? We won't be seeing him for a while :)

 **Guest:** The chapter/scene is completed, basically. Yeah, I honestly considered about Lucy having sex and stuff. I'm debating on whether she should be preggers or not…

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Stage Two, Chapter 1**

 _"_ _Stage two is when the emotions hit you. You lay in bed for weeks, maybe even months. You cry so much that your face is naturally puffy and red now. You can't even begin to think about going out with friends."_

 _~ misshaileyofficial (Tumblr) ~_

3rd Person's POV

It's not until the third week when Lucy wakes up in another stranger's bed and asks herself, _what am I doing?_

She's suddenly filled with a mixture of emotions; shame, guilt, confusion, anger, bitterness, sadness. Mostly sadness.

"Hey."

The naked guy next to her sits up and grins at her.

"Wanna go again?"

His hands lightly trace her bare arm and she automatically recoils from his touch. He tilts his head, confused.

"What's going on? You don't wanna go again?" he pouts.

"Fuck off, creep," she hisses, grabbing her clothes from the floor.

Lucy dresses at lightning speed and runs out the door.

When she gets home, she slams the door and collapses in a sob. She misses him. More than she knew. She never really got over him.

Using the last of her strength, she crawls into her bedroom and pulls herself onto her bed, tears silently leaking down her cheeks. She curls up into a ball and closes her eyes, trying to ignore the ache in her heart.

~.~

Her phone buzzes again and again. Lucy growls as she reaches for her phone on her nightstand. Hundreds of notifications pop up.

 _Levy: Luce?_

 _Levy: R u there?_

 _Cana: Lucyyyyy_

 _Cana: We miss yoooooo_

 _Levy: Are you ok_

 _Levy: Cana told me what the bastard did to you_

 _Levy: I told Gajeel_

 _Levy: shit I think he's gonna go kill Loke_

 _Levy: shitfuckshitfuck I can't stop him_

 _Cana: Luce wanna go out_

 _Cana: Hey r u thereeee_

 _Levy: Cana and I r here for u if u need us_

 _Cana: I need to help Levy restrain Gajeel_

She giggles in spite of herself, before seeing a message from someone she never expected. Loke.

 _Loke: Hey, I'm sorry. Do u wanna get back together? My new gf broke up with me and I rlly miss my old ex. Which is you. If you miss me, meet me at the Starlight Cafe. You know, our meeting place? I'll be waiting for you babe. Love ya 3_

She stares at the message, stunned. She let out a shrill scream and threw her phone at the wall, shattering the front.

"I HATE HIM!" she wailed. "I HATE HIM, I HATE HIM, I HATE HIM! BASTARD! ASSHOLE! SON OF A BITCH! I HATE HIM!"

~.~

Weeks pass. Months even. She spends her days, locked up in her house. She orders a new phone to replace her old one and has it delivered to her house. She can't bear to face society. Not like this.

~.~

She's curled up on her couch, on her new phone, adding contacts she knew to it. Her old phone wasn't broken enough for it to stop working, so she scrolls through the contacts. Lucy sighs, feeling tired and exhausted. She puts down her new phone on her nightstand, and places her shattered old one next to it.

As she closes her eyes, there's a sudden buzz from her old phone.

 _Levy: Do you wanna hang out with me and Cana? We haven't seen you in forever. Or maybe we can come over? Wanna see how you are Lu._

 _Lucy: Not in the mood. Maybe next time._

She turns off her phone and places it face down, trying to sleep. What she didn't notice, was a certain message from a certain someone…

 **Wow. It's been a while everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, favorite, and follow :D All of those makes my day :) Thanks for reading! Until next time! SoulHorse, over and out.**


	6. Breakdown

**Hey Fairies! Decided to get started on the chapter :D The story's almost done! Yayyy :DD And…I'm gonna have an epilogue next chapter…this is where Natsu comes in ;)**

 **Anyways, welcome to Stage 2, Part 2! Enjoy :D**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 _"_ _The breakdowns begin to hit. You walk into your room and scream and cry until your voice cracks under the stress. You throw things until they break and punch walls until you are a mess of drywall and blood. The saddest part is, does anyone really know which one is worse?"_

3rd Person's POV

It's weeks later when she starts to break down. As she walked back into her room, she catches sight of a framed picture. A happy girl with a laughing face, in the arms of a boy with hair like a lion's mane. She's in his arms and they're happy, carefree.

Lucy stops to stare at the photo. She doesn't recognize that girl anymore. The girl who trusted freely, who loved freely, who was carefree and happy and easy to please. That girl was dead, gone. Now she was nothing more than an empty husk of herself.

With a shrill scream, she hurls the photo at the nearest wall. The glass frame shatters as it hits the wall and it flies everywhere, all over her and the ground.

Lucy screams again and slams her palms onto the ground. The pieces of the frame cut her hands, but she doesn't care. There's a rage inside her that can't be tamed. She starts hurling picture after picture, of the dead girl and the boy she used to love. Glass and wood and metal hit the walls, cracking the once smooth plaster and shattering once it hits the floor.

She's bleeding now, all over the floor. Her small, pale hands, are bleeding and cut in places where she didn't even know she could be cut. But she doesn't feel the pain.

~.~

Another flash of anger hits the next day. As she walks into her room, her red rimmed eyes land on a glittering pale pink and diamond necklace. He gave it to her, on their first anniversary. Within a split second, the necklace is in her hands and she chucks it against the wall, sobbing as she did so.

Her eyes land on a porcelain box with a pink butterfly on top. His too. It slams against the wall, shattering into a million pieces. She's close enough that some of the porcelain shards fly back and cut her arms and face.

A pen. A pillow. A picture he drew her. A book he bought. A classy black jacket he let her keep. A ring with a heart, containing the letters _L + L._ Hundreds of love letters and anniversary cards and birthday cards. They're all ripped to shreds, thrown across the room, or just ruined by the blood starting to splatter on the floor and the objects, or the plaster that came off the wall.

Lucy's crying again. She collapses onto the ground, holding herself tightly, in the mess of blood and debris.

~.~

The next time she throws a fit, she gets an unexpected visit. She was screaming as she punched the nearest wall. Her breakfast plate lay on the floor in pieces, food everywhere, her phone buzzing loudly, but still on one text.

 _929 - 753 - 2912: Lucy, I heard you got a new phone and number. So I managed to steal Aquarius's phone and get it. It's Loke, btw. I still love you. So please come back to me. I know I'm a jerk for leaving you, but I was hoping we could try again. Or actually, I have a better idea. Will you marry me?_

Her fist slams against the wall as she lets out a heartbroken howl. Blood is mixed in with tears.

"THE FUCKING BASTARD! I HATE HIM! I DESPISE HIM! I LOATHE HIM! I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM! SON OF A MOTHERFUCKING BITCH! DICK FACE! ASSHOLE!" she sobbed.

Her hands were bloodied, bruised, and blistered from hitting walls, but she didn't care. The plaster cracks underneath her next punch, just as the door bursts open.

"LUCY!" a voice shouts.

She doesn't hear the voice as she punches the walls, over and over. A girl with blue hair and another with dark brown, steps into the dining room, where she was punching the walls. The bluenette gasps and covers her mouth, while the other gaps in disbelief.

"LUCY!" the bluenette screams, running over to her friend as Lucy sets herself to punch the wall again.

The bluenette throws her arms around her friend and the brunette catches Lucy's fist.

"LUCY! STOP!" the brunette roars.

She stops, her eyes wide, her body shaking.

"C-cana? L-L-Levy-chan…"

"Oh Lu…" Levy whispers sadly, running her hands over the bruises on her hands, the cuts on her arms. "Let's get you cleaned up."

~.~

Cana hands her friend a cup of hot cocoa as Levy wraps multiple blankets around Lucy. She starts bandaging Lucy's hands when she finishes.

"You could've came to us, you know," Cana says after a moment of silence. "You didn't have to be alone."

"That's how I've been all my life," Lucy replies bitterly. "Alone."

"Oh Lu." Levy shakes her head as she gently wraps a bandage around the blonde's hand. "You have friends. That's why we're here."

"I know."

Cana scrutinizes Lucy, her gaze flittering up and down her body.

"What?" Lucy demands.

"Girl, I know you just took a bath, but you're still a mess," Cana finally says. "And how long has it been since you've actually eaten?"

Levy stops and looks as well. "Oh my god Lu-chan! What happened? You're skinny and pale as hell!"

"I probably look like death," Lucy admits.

"Worse than death, if that's even a thing," Cana grumbles. "I'm gonna go make food for you."

She stands up and walks into the kitchen.

"No alcohol Cana!" Levy calls as Lucy murmurs, "Thanks."

"Please, explain, Lu," Levy pleads. "We haven't seen you in months and you and your place looks horrible!"

Lucy begins to explain what happened after one of the parties, her voice cracking a bit as she got to the first message Loke had sent. She ends with Loke's latest proposal.

"So yeah. Loke proposed and I threw another fit and you guys came."

"Oh Lu." Levy throws her arms around Lucy and hugs her tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"It's…it's fine."

"No!" Lucy startled by her friend's change in tone. "It's not okay! Cana and I abandoned you when you needed us most! You hurt yourself! You broke down! And it's all because of some asshole who broke your heart and is now asking for you back!"

Levy buries her face into her hands and Lucy hugs her friend back.

"Levy-chan, if anything, I should be crying," she jokes weakly. "And you should be comforting me."

"Ah! I'm sorry!" she cries.

"Honestly, you two are so dramatic," Cana teases as she comes into the room with three bowls of soup. But her voice was a bit soft.

"Thanks Cana." Lucy takes a bowl and gulps it all down.

Cana starts to talk about Gajeel.

"So, I don't know if you remembered, but Gajeel wanted to go kill Loke. God, my muscles still hurt from trying to restrain him! And it didn't even work! Gajeel went right to work and Loke walked out with a broken arm and leg!"

Lucy giggles a bit. "Serves him right." She takes a sip from her mug. "Tell Gajeel thank you for me."

"Of course!" Cana winks playfully.

"How's the cafe been doing?" the blonde queries curiously. It had been weeks since she had been to Starlight Cafe, her workplace.

"Pretty good," Levy says nonchalantly. "Mavis says to take all the time you need. Mira, Lisanna, and everyone else sends their love. We miss you."

"Oh!" Cana suddenly squeals. Her eyes are shining. "Levy! Tell her about _him_!"

Levy sits straighter, her eyes gleaming. "This weird guy came in last week and he immediately picked a fight with Gajeel!"

"Not to mention he was totally hot," Cana chimed.

Lucy's jaw drops. "How? Gajeel works in the back rooms!"

The bluenette shrugs. "We were understaffed that one day so she had Gajeel work as a waiter. And the guy walks in and gives Gajeel a once over before yelling something along the lines of a 'metal faced bastard.'"

The three girls burst into laughter at the story.

"What did he look like?" Lucy presses. "And don't say 'hot,' Cana."

"It's true!" the brunette insists. "He was!"

The blonde rolls her eyes and turns to Levy.

"He had really spiky hair and slanted black eyes! His table manners are absolutely horrifying! He eats like Gajeel and Laxus, except even more so!" Levy describes.

"Oh my god!" Lucy laughs. "How could anyone have worse manners than Gajeel and Laxus?"

"This guy!" the bluenette grins.

"Don't forget! His hair was pink!" Cana adds.

"Oh yeah! It wasn't like neon pink, but more like salmon pink," Levy says cheerfully.

 _Salmon pink._ Something nagged at Lucy in the back of her head.

"D-did you get his name?" she whispers.

"Um…" Levy tilts her head up thoughtfully. "It was like…Nathan? No…that doesn't sound right…"

"Gray said his name…" Cana muses. "Oh yeah! He got into a fight with Gray too! I swear, the cafe was almost ruined because of those three!"

"His name?" Lucy prompts.

"Oh yeah! I remember now!" Levy snaps her fingers. "His name is…"

 **Honestly don't know where this chapter was going…but that's okay. Epilogue is next! Would love a review, favorite, and follow ;) Happy late New Year everyone!**

 **~ Soul**


	7. Begin Again

**Hey everyone! The last chapter of Two-Stage Heartbreak! Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

It had taken much coaxing from Levy and Cana to get Lucy out of her house. And some amount of bribery. But here she stood, outside Starlight Cafe, with her two best friends.

"C'mon Lu," Levy winks. "You can do it."

"I haven't seen society in _months_!" Lucy laments. "I _can't_."

Cana gives her a playful push towards the door. "You can, and you will."

"Remember what we told you earlier?" the bluenette encourages.

 _Earlier…_

"No!" Lucy snaps, aghast. "I'm not going back to work!"

"It's been _months_ ," Cana complains. "You need to get out and back to society."

"Cana!" Levy chides. "Be kinder." To her blonde friend, she says, "But she's right. You really need to get back into society. You've been cooped up for months. It's unbelievable you haven't even stepped out to get the _mail_."

She points to the stack of envelopes and packages on the table. Many were gifts and love letters from Loke. "The mailman literally begged us to empty out your mailbox when we came," she deadpans.

"I did step out once!" Lucy defends. "When I got my phone!"

"By stepping out, I think she meant she opened the door to the mailman," Cana comments snidely. Levy elbows her.

"Back to the topic!" Levy announces. "Lucy, you're going to work tomorrow. We've already called Mavis and told her you're coming in."

"What if he comes in?" the blonde sniffs.

"Then we'll whip his sorry ass," Cana says confidently. "He won't get anywhere near you."

"I'll get Gajeel to stand nearby if you want me to," Levy offers. "And besides, we'll be working the shift with you, so no need to worry."

"Still," Lucy pouts, folding her arms.

"What's with the stubbornness?" Levy puts her hands on her hips. "Two days ago, you were desperate to get back to work!"

"Yeah, you wanted to meet _Natsu_ , the guy who came in," Cana snickers.

"Until I remembered Loke likes going to Starlight Cafe!" the blonde cries. "That's where we met! And I might run into him again!"

"You won't," Levy reassures. "I'll get Mavis to refuse service to him if he comes in."

"C'mon Lucy," Cana pleads. Her eyes suddenly take on a mischievous look. She whispers something into Levy's ear and the bluenette smirks and nods.

"Lucy, if you go to work tomorrow, I'll buy you the entire manga set of _Your Lie In April_ ," Levy says.

"And I'll get you the latest Burberry purse," Cana adds.

The blonde licked her lips. She so desperately wanted the manga set of _Your Lie In April_ and that new purse looked amazing…

"And my extra set of _The Infernal Devices_ ," Levy says.

"Versace perfume."

Sold.

"Fine. I'll go," Lucy grumbles.

 _Currently…_

"This is a really bad idea," Lucy complains, gazing at the cafe.

"We won't follow up on our offers if you don't go in and work," Levy warns.

"You were bribing me!"

"And it was working," Cana smirks.

"Ugh!"

Lucy pushed open the door and was immediately met with…Loke. She grit her teeth.

"Hey L-"

Before he could say her name, Cana punched him in the face.

"Move," Levy snaps.

"Actually, a better idea. Leave," the brunette sneers, pointing out the door. "Before we _make_ you."

Loke scrambles away and hurried out. Cana shoots Lucy a triumphant look.

"See? Problem solved."

She shoots both of her friends a grateful look. "Thanks guys."

"Lucy!"

The blonde was suddenly tackled in a hug by a silver haired girl.

"Hi Mira," she greets.

"Where have you been?" she shrieks. "We were so worried!"

"Sorry," Lucy apologizes sheepishly.

Mira pulls back with a radiant smile. "We've missed you! So glad you're back!"

"Me too."

Lucy is suddenly tackled in hundreds of hugs from her friends; Evergreen, Lisanna, Erza, Bisca, and even Mavis.

"Glad you're here," her short boss says with a smile. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Lucy flashes a smile back.

"That's our girl!" Mavis beams.

Erza tosses Lucy a piece of fabric and she catches it. Her pink apron with her name tag pinned to it. She pulls it on, inhaling the familiar smells of the cafe.

"You're waitressing today, okay?" Mavis says brightly.

"Alright!"

Lisanna passes her a book and pen to take orders and Cana immediately pushes her towards the nearest table.

"Work!" Levy puffs, making a shooing motion with her hands.

She approaches the table and immediately sees a familiar face.

"Hey Wendy!" she greets cheerfully.

"Lucy!" the little girl squeals, wrapping her friend in a hug.

Wendy Marvell was from an adopted family and she was fourteen, not old enough to work at the cafe.

"I've missed you!" the blue haired girl whimpers.

She laughs. "Me too. Ready to order?"

"Yup!" she cheers, pulling away. "I'll have a strawberry milkshake with a chicken sandwich please!"

Lucy winks at her friend. "Coming right up!"

She works tirelessly, cheerfully talking with customers and bringing back orders. Five minutes before her shift ends for lunch, Cana sidles up to her and elbows her.

"Ow! Cana!" she hisses.

Cana nods at the door. "Look!"

Her gaze goes to the door, where a pink haired boy stands, hands tucked into the pockets of a black hoodie. He walks to the nearest table. Lucy inhales sharply.

"That your man?" Cana smirks.

Lucy could only nod, staring in shock. The brunette gives her a push towards the table, waving away the other waitresses.

"Go."

She stumbles towards his table, a menu in hand.

"Hi! I'm Lucy, your waitress for the day!" she chirps cheerfully.

He freezes, then slowly turns to look up at her.

"Lu…cy?" He gapes up at her and she could feel the heat rush to her neck. Her heart started to flutter. What the hell?

"Hi…Natsu, right?" she ventures.

"I know you," he breathes. "Me…and you…we—"

"Yeah, I know," she cuts in quickly. "That was a bad part of my life; I'd rather not relive it."

His lips curl into a mock-pout. "So are you saying that you didn't enjoy it?" he teases.

She flushes red. "No! I'm just saying…that it was a low point of my life…"

Natsu grins at her. "Kidding. But anyways, are you okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm better now," she says quietly.

"Sorry if I, you know, offended you or anything," he apologizes.

"You didn't," Lucy reassures.

"So, can I have your number now?" Natsu's lips curve into a smirk at her blush.

Lucy instinctively smacked him with the menu. "Too early for that, sir. You may have the menu though."

Natsu skims through the menu. "Black coffee, all the sandwiches, chicken soup, bagel, blueberry muffin, strawberry cheesecake, and chocolate milkshakes."

Lucy gapes at him. "How much do you eat?" she demands.

"A lot," he says with a grin. His canines were abnormally sharp.

"Damn," she mutters, scribbling down his order. "I'll be back in a few with your orders."

Before he has another chance to say anything, she sweeps off to the kitchen and passes the order to the chef.

She comes back, moments later, trays full of food.

"Here you go." Lucy places down each plate.

"Thanks Lushee," he mumbles, already stuffing his face with food. "Can ya stay and keep me company for a bit?" he asks hopefully.

She hesitates. He's not bad company. Lucy looks over at Cana, who winks and behind her, Levy smiles and flashes her a thumbs up.

"Fine," she decides. "But not for long; I have work to finish."

"Sweet," Natsu grins.

He takes a gulp of his coffee as she perches herself on the edge of the table.

"I don't bite," he mutters, noticing her uncomfortableness. "Unless you're food." He looks her over and she tenses. But the look is casual and after a few seconds, he goes back to his food.

"So…how've you been?" Lucy asks awkwardly.

"Pretty good. I should be asking you that though," Natsu comments. "How are you?"

"Um…other than the fact my friends forced me to go back to work, good," she answers.

He stops eating to look at her curiously. She freezes, a slight blush coming on.

"W-what?" she stammers.

" _Forced_ is a pretty string word Lucy," he says.

"I-I was going through some things…" Lucy mutters.

"I would ask, but I'm guessing it's personal," Natsu comments.

"Yeah…it is…" she drifts off.

An awkward silence hangs over them. Deciding to leave, Lucy hops off the table and mutters, "Well, I'm gonna go—"

"Lucy! Wait!" he pleads.

Her gaze whips back to him. Natsu looks like he's about to get on his knees.

"What?" she snaps. "Why do you want me around?" She feels frustrated. She can't get a read on this guy. She doesn't understand what he wants.

"Lucy, I'm gonna be honest with you." Natsu inhales sharply and then exhales. "This might be sudden for you, but I think I like you. A lot. I started coming to this cafe because after we first met, I saw you come in here and I wanted to meet you again.

"Look, I know you just broke up with a guy; I saw you and your friends kick him out of the shop. But, I…I was wondering if I have a chance. With, you know, you. I like you Lucy. I want to get to know you."

She can't help but stare at him. _He…likes me? The girl who slept with him drunk? The girl who's a broken, drunken mess?_

"Natsu…we just—"

"Met, yeah. I don't care. I just want to know. Is it possible for me and you to date? Do I have a chance?"

A chance. That was all he was asking for. Could she…? She gazes at his hopeful smile, glittering eyes. She knows it'll take some time for her to get back to her old self. But she has a feeling that he'll wait.

She recalls back to months ago, when she had first met him. A boy with ruffled pink hair and eyes slitted like a dragons. Sheets that reeked of sex. He had shown her kindness, although she was a stranger. And now she had met him again, against all odds.

 _Yes. Yes, it was possible. Yes, he had a chance._

She voices that word aloud. "Yes." She takes a deep breath. "Yes, you have a chance."

He grins widely. "Thank you, Lucy."

"Lucy!" Mira yells from the register.

"Coming!" she calls back. She turns to Natsu, letting a sigh escape her lips. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." She winks and he smirks.

"I'll be waiting."

~.~

When she comes back with a checkbook, he smoothly signs off the receipt and slides his credit card in. When she goes back to the register and takes out his card, a piece of paper flutters to the ground. She picks it up and written on it is a number. A number and a name. Her lips curve into a smile and she glances back at him.

He's grinning at her mischievously and mouths, _turn it over._ She does what he says and a date is written on it, along with a question.

 **Friday 17th, 6:00 pm. You free?**

She grins wider and grabs one of their business cards and a pen. She quickly scribbles something and walks back to his table with his card in hand.

"You're all good! Have a nice day!" she chirps.

She walks away, watching him from her peripheral vision. He's reading what she wrote and whips out a sleek black phone and furiously types something. Her phone suddenly buzzes and she pulls it out.

 **926-348-1818: See you Friday ;)**

 **Lucy: Tomorrow. You'll be coming to the cafe anyways**

She quickly renamed the number just as it went off again.

 **Natsu: Tru tru. Or I might break into your house tonite**

 **Lucy: You don't even know where I live!**

 **Natsu: I have my ways…**

 **Lucy: You sound like a rapist**

 **Natsu: I swear it's not like that**

 **Lucy: Sureee**

 **Lucy: I'm gonna go get lunch rn. ttyl**

 **Natsu: have fun! I'll be thinking of you :D**

 **Lucy: ^/^**

She tucks her phone into her back pocket and makes herself a coffee and a sandwich. She sits in the corner of the cafe, thinking.

Heartbreak hurt. She knew it from firsthand experience. But maybe…maybe getting your heart broken wasn't such a bad thing after all…

Heartbreak allowed her to meet Natsu. Meet someone who might actually care for her more than the other would.

With that last thought, Lucy stood up and trashed her lunch. Maybe now, she could **begin again.**

 **Done! I finally finished one of my multi-chap stories :DD Accomplishment! I hope you guys all enjoyed! Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed! Love you guys :)**

 **~ Soul**


End file.
